Pretended Love
by Malana
Summary: The Centre wants Willow will Jarod be able to save her? XOver with The Pretender
1. Chapter 1

Pairing: (W/Mr. Lyle, W/Jarod)

Disclaimer: I, of course, own nothing. BtVS belongs to Joss, ME, ect. I'm not sure who owns The Pretender, but it sure isn't me. *sigh*

Distribution: Just tell me if you want to take it.

Feedback: PLEASE! Must know if this is a story I should continue. Malana@mac.com

Spoilers: Umm...well, I don't know. Let's see Tara isn't dead, but she and Willow are broken up. (Sorry Tara fans, I loved her with Will, but I need to sacrifice her for the sake of the x-over.)

Summary: The Centre wants Willow; will Jarod be able to save her?

BLUE COVE, DELEWARE---THE CENTRE

Mr. Lyle tossed the file on the table.

"She's not really my type." He said, looking up at Mr. Raines and Mr. Parker.

Raines glared at him, "I don't care if she's your type or not. We need her. But she has to aid us willingly. We can't make her do it if she doesn't want to. She's too powerful for that."

Mr. Parker leaned across the table and took a photo out of the file. "You can be a charming man, Son. Use that charm on her." He held up the picture for emphasis. "Seduce her, date her. And when the time is right, convince her to help us out."

Mr. Lyle sighed. He knew he didn't have a choice. And he did have to admit that the young woman was very attractive. The job would certainly have its perks. He picked the file back up, and stood. "Well, I guess I'm off to California.

A few hours later--Miss Parker's Office

Miss Parker sat at her desk. She was pissed. She had just gotten back from Florida on another failed attempt to get Jarod. They had missed him by only a few minutes according to the manager of the motel that Jarod had been staying at. He had been posing as a dentist, trying to catch a killer. He had, of course, succeeded. He always did. Just as Ms. Parker, Sydney and Broots always managed to fail. But still, she was confident that they would catch the wayward Pretender eventually.

Just then Broots entered the room. He looked anxious, as usual. "Um... Miss Parker?"

"What is it, Broots?"

"You asked me to keep an eye on Mr. Lyle. And I've found something interesting." Broots was always nervous when giving information to Miss Parker. He never knew how she would react to things. Parker sat up straight, suddenly very alert. "Spill it."

"He's leaving for a while, at least a few months it looks like. He's going to some place named Sunnydale, it's in California."

Miss Parker raised an eyebrow. "What is my brother up to now?"

Two Weeks Later--Sunnydale, California

Willow Rosenberg let out a sigh. She sat by herself at a small corner table at Electric Brew, a coffee shop that had just opened last month. The place was swarming with people. Every table was full.

Willow was lonely. She wished that there were someone she could call up. But Buffy was out on a date, Xander was spending time with Anya, and Tara...well, Tara wasn't exactly an option anymore. She really missed Tara. She had loved her, but she knew in her heart that the relationship simply wasn't meant to be. She had spilt up with Tara two months ago. It had been a mutual thing, but it had still been quite painful. Tara still helped out the Scooby gang when they really needed it, but other than that, the group hardly ever saw her.

Sipping her latte, Willow let out another sigh.

"Excuse me."

Willow was startled by a male voice. A voice that sent a shiver down her spine, even though it had only spoken two words. She looked up to see a handsome dark-haired man standing in front of her.

"Can I help you?" She asked, when she finally found her voice.

"I'm sorry, but all of the tables are taken, and I was wondering if I might join you." The man smiled and Willow felt her heart melt.

"Of course, please have a seat." Willow gestured to the seat across from her.

"Thank you." The man said, seating down. "I'm Robert Lyle by the way." He extended his hand across the table.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Willow Rosenberg."

They shook hands for longer than necessary. Their eyes met and Willow smiled shyly.

Lyle grinned sexily. "So, Willow Rosenberg. Tell me about yourself."


	2. Chapter 2

Three weeks had passed since the night in the coffee shop. For Willow they were three blissfully happy weeks. Robert Lyle was wonderful. She had seen him every free night she had. Sure, he was quite a bit older than her, but she didn't care. He was sweet and caring. 

She had so much fun with him. He was also incredibly handsome. Willow thought she might actually be falling in love with the man. 

She hadn't introduced him to the gang yet. She was a little worried about doing it. There was the age difference for one thing. Another problem was that she hadn't told Robert about the whole slaying demons thing. She knew that if the relationship were to last, she would have to do it eventually, but she was afraid that he would think she was crazy. Willow was scared that someone might accidentally let something slip in Robert's presence. 

But despite all her worries, tonight was the night. Robert would be joining the gang for dinner at the Summer's house. Even though Willow had been living there with Buffy and Dawn since Joyce had died, she still thought about it as the Summer's home. The Scoobies were excited about meeting Willow's new guy, and he had told Willow he was looking forward to meeting them too. 

Willow wanted everything to be perfect. She wanted her friends to like Robert, and wanted him to like them. She didn't know what she would do if they didn't get along. She told herself to stop worrying about it. Of course they'll get along, she thought. Robert is an amazing man. Everything will go fine. 

Willow hummed happily to herself as she began to set the dinning room table. She had been cooking all afternoon. The food smelled wonderful, and soon people would be arriving. Buffy was currently training, but she and Giles would come as soon as they were done. Dawn had been at the library studying, but she should be one her way back by now. 

Just then the doorbell rang. Willow gave an excited squeal and ran to the door. She opened it, a huge smile spreading across her face. Robert stood before her, a bottle in one hand, and flowers in the other. 

"Good evening, Miss Rosenberg. These are for you." He handed her the roses. "And I brought some wine." He added giving her the bottle. 

"Why thank you, Mr. Lyle." Willow kissed him on the cheek. "Please come in. I'll just go find a vase for these flowers." Willow went into the kitchen, Mr. Lyle following behind her. Willow found a vase and started arranging the roses in it. As she did Mr. Lyle came up behind her and began massaging her shoulders. 

"Mmmmm....Robert, that feels wonderful." Willow leaned back against him, and he wrapped his arms around her in a hug. 

Mr. Lyle smiled. Everything was going perfectly. Sure maybe Willow wasn't his usual type, but she was gorgeous. He could tell that she was really starting to fall hard for him. The plan was going to work. It'd take a few months perhaps, but he would convince her to help out the Centre. He had to admit, this wasn't a bad mission, better than chasing after Jarod. Jarod was the only thing that worried him. If Jarod found out what was going on, he would surly try to put a stop to it, just as he had stopped the Centre's last attempt of making a Pretender. He hoped that Jarod wouldn't catch wind of what was going on. Then again, if he did, he would come to Sunnydale. And maybe Mr. Lyle would finally be able to catch him. It looked as though everything was going well. 

Willow turned at pulled his head down to hers, meeting his lips in a searing kiss. 

Yes, Lyle thought, things are going very well indeed.


	3. Chapter 3

"So, what do you think?" They had finished eating dinner and Willow had dragged Buffy into the kitchen, saying she wanted help getting dessert ready. Really she had just wanted to talk to her friend. 

Buffy grinned, "He seems really nice. He's also an extreme hottie. He is a little old though. And what's up with the gloves?" Buffy had noticed the black leather gloves that Robert Lyle had worn right up until they had started eating. 

"Oh, he lost his thumb in an accident several years ago. He's self-conscious about it." Willow explained. "And as for the whole age thing, I don't think you're someone to be lecturing on that topic." She smiled slightly. 

Buffy pretended to pout. "Okay, so he's not as old as Angel. But seriously, Wills, he's great. I'm so happy for you." Buffy pulled her friend in a quick hug. "So, let's take out the dessert." 

Two hours later 

Willow walked hand in hand with Robert. She knew that they shouldn't be out so late, but it was a beautiful night, and when he had suggested the walk, she couldn't come up with an excuse to put him off. She hadn't wanted to, actually. 

"Well, well, well. What do we have here? Two lovebirds out for a stroll." 

Willow groaned to herself as a figure stepped from the shadows in front of them. He already was in vamp face. Willow pegged him as a fledgling. She reached into her pocket for a stake, wondering how the hell she was going to explain this to Robert. 

She turned to him, ready to tell him to run. Before she could get the words out, he reached to his suit jacket. Before Willow knew what was happening, he had pulled out a stake, and thrown it with perfect aim. The vampire crumbled into dust. 

Looking at Robert in shock, Willow didn't know what to say. He turned to her, a concerned look on her face. 

"Look, Willow. I can explain what just happened. I know this will be hard to believe but...Ó He started to say. 

"Vampires are real." Willow said, cutting him off. 

"You know?" Mr. Lyle feigned surprise, hoping Willow would buy it. 

She did. "Yeah. I've known for years. Sunnydale is a hellmouth. Buffy is the...Ó Willow stopped herself. She didn't know how much she should tell him. 

Mr. Lyle raised an eyebrow. "She's the slayer, isn't she? Look, we should get inside. Can we talk at your place?" 

Willow nodded. "Sure. Do you mind if the others are there? That way we can all talk together." 

"That sounds fine."


	4. Chapter 4

They talked for hours. The Scoobies listened as Robert explained how he had come to know about the demons and vampires that roamed the earth. He told them that the business he worked for, The Centre, was really a front for a demon hunting organization. In turn they told the story of Buffy coming to Sunnydale, and Willow and Xander joining in her

fight.

Though he kept a serious face, in his mind Mr. Lyle was extremely happy. They seemed to be buying his story completely. Mr. Raines would be pleased. More importantly, the Triumvirate would be pleased too. Good things would be in store for him when he got back to The Centre. Once he finished with Willow, who knows how far he could go in the company. There was still one thing he needed to make sure the plan would work.

"Willow, there is something you should know. The Centre has some enemies. One of the most dangerous really has it in for me. He is a brilliant man, but he is quite evil. He manages to track me down from time to time. I'm afraid that if he finds me this time, he'll come after you. He is a convincing man, and he's managed to turn people against me before, I just pray he doesn't come here. I couldn't bare to see you hurt."

Willow looked at him with loving eyes. "Don't worry, Robert. I wouldn't turn on you. I know it's only been a few weeks, but I trust you completely. I love you, and won't let this guy hurt you."

Buffy spoke up. "Yeah, Robert. You're a white hat like us. We'll watch your back."

Xander agreed. "We won't let anyone hurt you or Wills."

Anya and Dawn both nodded their agreement. "What's this jerk's name, anyway?" Dawn asked.

Mr. Lyle smiled to himself again. "He never uses the same last name, but he always uses the same first one: Jarod."

BLUE COVE, DEL

THE CENTRE

MISS PARKER'S OFFICE

For the past few weeks, Broots had been working hard; trying to figure out what Lyle was up to in California. He had finally found out. Now he stood in Miss Parker's office, waiting for her and Sydney to arrive. Broots didn't know all of the details of Lyle's plan, but he knew enough to know he didn't like it. He didn't know exactly what The Centre wanted this Willow Rosenberg girl for, but he knew that it couldn't be good.

"What do you know?"

Broots turned to find Miss Parker entering the room, Sydney following closely behind her. He swallowed nervously.

"I don't know a lot. But I do know his seducing someone named Willow Rosenberg. She's 21, and a student at the local University in Sunnydale."

Miss Parker arched a perfectly manicured eyebrow, "Willow Rosenberg? That doesn't sound like the type of girl Lyle normally goes after. I mean, she's not an Asian prostitute is she?"

"Hardly. And I don't think that his plan is to kill her." Broots explained, "She's a fairly powerful witch. She hangs with the Vampire slayer. I believe the Centre wants her for some sort of spell, but I don't know what, exactly."

"You know, I never understood why the Centre has never gone after a slayer." Miss Parker mused. "It seems like that be someone they'd want to study. Especially Mr. Raines."

"The Centre struck a deal with the Watcher's Council years ago, though hardly anybody in either organization knows that the other group exists. If Broots hadn't dug out the information last year, I doubt we would have ever found out that vampires exist." Sydney explained.

"But I'm worried about this Willow girl,Ó he continued. "They might need her to willingly do the spell, but after that, who knows what they might do."

"So are we going to do anything?" Broots asked. He wanted to do something to help Willow.

Miss Parker wasn't sure, "I don't know. Keep researching, see if you can find out what the spell they want her to do is."

Sydney stood up. "I'm going to make a phone call. I'll check back with you two later." He left the office, and headed for his own. Hoping the emergency number he had was still working. He closed his office door, and sat down at his desk. He picked up the phone and dialed. He let it ring several times. He was just about to hang up, when a familiar voice answered.

"Hello. Sydney?"

"Hello, Jarod."


	5. Chapter 5

"Hello. Sydney?" 

"Hello, Jarod." 

"Are you sure no one is listening in?" Jarod asked. 

"I had Broots take care of that last week. It should be a few days before anyone notices. Until then, there should be no problem." Sydney assured him. 

"So, Sydney, what's are your mind? I assume this isn't going to be a friendly chat." 

"No, Jarod. I'm afraid it isn't. Our friend Mr. Lyle is up to something. He's in a small town in Sunnydale. He was sent there to seduce a young witch, to convince her to help The Centre with something. We don't know what. Broots think it's some sort of spell. That would be bad enough, but I fear that if she does indeed do the spell, the Centre might want her for more than that. You know how Raines is with his experiments." 

There was a pause. Then Jarod spoke, "I'm sorry, but did you say a witch?" 

Sydney sighed. He didn't really have time for this. "Yes, Jarod. Witches, vampires, demons, they're all real." He hoped that Jarod would just accept it and move on. 

There was another long pause. "Okay.... This is interesting." 

"Look, Jarod. I want you to help. I can't afford to get directly involved with this. Her name is Willow Rosenberg. She's a college student. She's only 21 years old." 

"What's the time frame? I'm working on something now. It could be a few more weeks." Jarod didn't want to leave what he was working on, but he didn't want to see another innocent life ruined by The Centre. 

"From what Broots could figure out, Lyle will be in Sunnydale for a few more months. He apparently needs to build a relationship with her; get her to trust him. 

"That would give me time, but what about The Centre? Will I arrive in Sunnydale, only to be greeted by a sweeper team?" Jarod trusted Sydney, but he knew that Sydney would bring him back to The Centre if he could, or rather; he had to try to catch him. Who knew what The Centre would do to him if he didnÕt. 

"They won't hear anything about it from me. Knowing Lyle, he'll try to bring you in by himself if he can. He'd only call in others as a last resort. He's after glory." 

Jarod thought for a moment. "I'll do what I can Sydney." 

"Thank you, Jarod." 

After hanging up the phone, Sydney let out a sigh of relief. He hadn't really doubted that Jarod would help, but he was glad to know for sure. Sydney had worked for The Centre for most of his life. He didn't like what they did, what he had helped them do. But he knew he couldn't leave. They simply wouldn't let him. So he stayed. He chased after Jarod, secretly hoping that they wouldn't catch him. For a while after Jarod had escaped, Sydney really had wanted to get him back. He had thought it was best for him. But as time passed, and as he, Miss Parker, and Broots learned more of The Centre's dark secrets, the happier he was that Jarod managed to evade them all. He didn't know this Willow Rosenberg, but he didn't want to see another person taken from their family and friends, not if he could somehow stop it. 


	6. Chapter 6

One Month Later

A month had passed since the night that Robert had staked that vampire, and he and the Scoobies had shared their stories.There hadn't been any huge evil to fight, which made everyone happy.The gang all really liked Robert, and were pleased that he made Willow so happy.He had even joined them on patrol a few times.He was quickly becoming a trusted member of the group. Everyone could see that Willow was falling in love with the man.

Willow had never met anyone like Robert Lyle before. The man was perfect.It was like he knew exactly what to do to make her happy.And she certainly was happy.She had pretty much been walking on clouds since the day she had met him.She didn't know for sure, after all it had been less than two months, but she thought that Robert might be the one.She really could see herself spending the rest of her life with him.

Mr. Lyle was also happy, but for far different reasons.Everything was going as planned.He gained more and more of Willow's trust each day.He knew that with just a little more work, she would do ready to do almost anything she asked her to.Especially since she believed that The Centre was working for the same things that she and her friends were.The sex was great, and when the whole thing was over, he'd probably be getting a raise.Even if Jarod tried to interfere, it wouldn't work.The way Lyle had described him, Willow and her friends practically thought of him as the antichrist.

OUTSIDE SUNNYDALE

Jarod sat in his rental car.He starred at the "Welcome to Sunnydale" sign that stood a few yards in front of him. He had faced a lot in his life, but he wasn't sure if he was ready for this.He hadn't known what to think when Sydney had told him that demons existed.

He had researched it for days, and had finally come to the conclusion that Sydney had been truthful.Jarod didn't know nearly as much as he would like to about the whole thing.That's what he wasn't comfortable with.He wasn't used to having so little information about something.He thought he knew enough to keep him out of danger, but he wasn't positive.He just hoped he could get to Miss Rosenberg right away.He hoped that Lyle didn't have his claws to deeply into her.He didn't want to see The Centre hurt this girl.

He turned the engine back on, and headed into town. He wanted to find Willow as soon as he could.He figured that with the witch thing, the local magic shop might be a good place to start looking.

A few minutes later, Jarod pulled his car into a parking place outside of the Magic Box. He entered and starred for a moment, wonder what he was getting himself into.

"Can I help you with anything?"

Jarod turned to see a middle-aged man standing at the counter.From his accent, Jarod could tell he was British.He walked over to him pulling a picture he had found of Willow out of his jacket pocket.

"Excuse me, I was wondering if you could give me a hand.My name's Jarod. Jarod Matthews.Could you tell me if you've seen this girl before?" He asked, handing the man the picture."Her name's Willow Rosenberg.I have to find her, it's pretty important."

Rupert Giles leapt over the counter, Ripper flashing in his eyes. He grabbed the lapels of Jarod's jacket and pulled him in, inches away from his face."What the hell do you want with Willow?"


	7. Chapter 7

Jarod was more than a little surprised at the man's violent reaction."Whoa, whoa.I just want to talk to her." 

Giles wasn't buying it."We were warned about you Jarod."Giles let go of his Jarod's coat and shoved him. "You're not going to get anywhere close to Willow.I suggest you get out of town.You try to hurt Willow, and I will cause you unbelievable amounts of pain." 

"Look, I have no intention of hurting her.I'm here to help her.I don't know what Mr. Lyle told you, but I'm not the bad guy here, he is. I'm trying to save her from him, from The Centre." 

Giles rolled his eyes. "He told us you'd come here saying that." 

In his mind, Jarod was cursing. "You have to trust me..." 

"Get out of my shop!And stay away from Willow. 

Jarod realized that there wasn't anything he could say to change the man's mind right now.He held up his hands in surrender."Okay, okay.I'm leaving."He backed out the door and headed for his car, wondering how the hell he would convince Willow that Lyle was the one who was out to hurt her.If he could just talk to her he might be able to do it.But it looked like he would have a hard time even getting close to the girl. 

As soon as Jarod left the Magic Box, Giles was one the phone.He called an emergency meeting of the Scooby gang, telling everyone to meet that evening as soon as the shop had closed down.After everything he had been told about this Jarod, Giles was quite worried about Willow's safety.He was even worried enough that he had called Spike.He wanted to make sure they had as many people on guard as possible. 

As soon as the sun set, Spike began to make his way to the Magic Box.Rupert had sounded really nervous on the phone.Part of Spike still couldn't believe that he was helping out the slayer and her little friends.But another part of him, a very small part he didn't want to acknowledge, was rather fond of the gang.Willow had always been nice to him, and had often stopped the others when they went on their Spike bashing rants.He didn't want to see the chit hurt. 

The thing was, Spike wasn't exactly sure whom she needed protection from.Sure, this Robert of her's had warned them all about Jarod.But Spike wasn't positive.He hadn't told anyone else, but there was something about Robert Lyle, that Spike didn't trust.The man was too good, too nice, too smooth.Spike knew that that could be hiding something very bad.After all, he had often used the prefect guy ruse to seduce women back in the good old days, before he had gotten that bloody chip in his head. 

But if Robert was telling the truth, then they really needed to be wary of Jarod.Spike would help deal with him if that were the case.But if it werenÕt, he'd be there to take care of Robert Lyle.Chip or no chip, he wasn't going to let someone hurt his friend.


	8. Chapter 8

Willow sat at a table in the Magic Box.Robert was next to her. She held tightly to his hand.All Giles had told them was that Jarod had showed up.They were waiting for everybody to show up so that Giles wouldn't have to tell the story more than once. 

"How are you holding up?" Robert asked Willow quietly. 

"A little frightened, but I'll be okay." She responded. 

"I'm not going to let anything happen to you, Willow."Mr. Lyle was thrilled, but a little nervous.This would be the greatest test that his deception would face.He was positive that Jarod wouldn't be able to get to Willow, but he knew he had to be on guard.Not only did he have to make sure nothing messed up his hold on Willow, he also wanted to catch Jarod.He wanted to get him on his own, but if worse came to worse he'd call in the sweepers.If he had to, he'd even get his sister and Sydney out here. 

"Thank you, Robert. I know that with you and the others looking out for me, this Jarod guy won't be able to hurt me."Part of Willow almost wanted Jarod to find her.She wanted to confront the man who was trying to hurt the guy she loved.But Willow knew better than to tell anyone else that.They would freak out.Although her magic had gotten pretty strong, and she knew she could defend herself, her friends still worried about her a lot. 

A few minutes later the rest of the gang had all arrived.Giles told them about his encounter with Jarod.He kind of down played jumping over the counter and practically assaulting the man, but Buffy called him on it. 

"You went all Ripper on him, didn't you?" she asked. 

Giles got a little red and looked down at the floor. 

Xander grinned and patted his back. "Way to go G-man!" 

Giles removed his glasses and began cleaning them on his shirt. "Well, I may have lost control a little bit," he said, stammering slightly. 

Willow smiled at him. "Thanks, Giles. It's nice to know that you care that much.I just hope that you managed to scare the guy away for good." 

Mr. Lyle sighed. "I hope so too, darling. But I doubt that he did.Jarod is a very determined guy.He'll stop at nothing to hurt me, and it looks like he's decided that the best way to do that is to hurt you.I just hope he doesn't know what a powerful witch you are." 

Willow furrowed her brow. "Why would that matter?Wouldn't it make him wary of coming after me?" 

"No, it makes him want to get you even more. He'd want to exploit your power." 

Spike was watching Robert closely, studying his face, trying to figure him out.There was something that was bothering Spike, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.Then it hit him.When Robert talked about the possibility of Willow being hurt, his heartbeat didn't change.Normally he wouldn't have been able to pick that out in a group of people this big. But everyone else's pulse rate shot up a little when the subject of Willow being hurt was mentioned, even Anya's rose.But through all the confusion of many different pulses racing, there was one that stayed steady through it all. Mr. Lyle's, the person who should be the most concerned.After all, he was talking about the woman he loved being hurt.Spike knew that something was up.He just hoped he could figure out what before anything bad happened. 


	9. Chapter 9

One Week Later 

Jarod sat in his hotel room, wondering what he could do to convince Willow that he was here to help her. Over the last few days, he had been following her whenever he could. He had observed her interaction with Mr. Lyle. She seemed to have really fallen for him, which would make Jarod's task even harder. How could her convince her that the man she loved was just using her. And not only that, but also that Mr. Lyle was an evil man, a killer who worked for a horrible organization. 

Jarod was startled when there was a knock on his door. He opened it a crack, keeping the chain on. Before him stood a pale man who had bleached blond hair. 

"Can I help you?" 

"Are you Jarod?" 

Jarod studied the man for a moment before answering. "Yes. Who are you?" 

"I'm Spike. I'm a...a friend...of Willow's. I think we should talk." 

Jarod closed the door, removed the chain, and opened it again. He prepared himself for an attack, after what had happened last time he had a run-in with one of Willow's friends. When Spike just stood there, Jarod stepped aside and motioned for him to enter. 

Spike cleared his throat. "Would you ask me in?" 

Narrowing his eyes, Jarod's mind raced. "Do you need me to?" 

"Not really. This is a hotel room. Invite rule applies to residences. But it's the polite thing to do." 

"You're a vampire?" 

"Well, you're certainly smarter than the average person in this town. But due to some bloody minded government types, I can't hurt humans." Spike explained. 

"Why should I trust you?" Jarod asked. 

"Well, you probably shouldn't. I am a big bag vampire after all. But I want to talk to you about Willow. And since you're the one seeking her out, you might just have to trust me anyway." 

Jarod considered this for a moment. "All right. Come inside. Let's talk." 

Spike entered and looked around. There was the usual hotel chair, but it looked uncomfortable as hell, so Spike sat down on the edge of the bed. He sat, staring at Jarod expectantly. After a moment, Jarod sighed and pulled the chair over and sat down. 

"Now, the thing is," Spike began, "I don't trust Robert Lyle." 

"That's smart." Jarod replied. 

"But," Spike continued, "I don't' know if I can trust you either. Just because Lyle has an ulterior motive, doesn't mean you're a good guy. You could both be out to hurt Willow." 

"Mr. Lyle works for an organization called the Centre." 

Spike nodded. "Yeah he told us about it. Said they fight demons." 

Jarod let out a harsh laugh. "Hardly. The Centre isn't interested in saving the world. They are only interested in making a profit for themselves. They've caused the deaths for a countless number of people. They took me away from my family when I was a child. I'm what they call a Pretender.


	10. Chapter 10

"What's a Pretender?" Spike asked.

"They call us that because we can become anyone we want to be: Doctor, lawyer, teacher, cop, anything. The Centre identifies these people when they are children. They take them. They do all sorts of experiment. But what they really are focused on is having the Pretenders run scenarios, all sorts of things; they sell the information they gain. Many people have died because of stuff that I thought up. I escaped the Centre. I travel around, helping people, and trying to avoid recapture." Jarod paused, and studied Spike, trying to see if he believed what he had just head.

Spike took out a cigarette and lit it. "Jesus, mate. That's some pretty harsh shit. How does Red's guy Mr. Lyle fit into all of this?"

Jarod let out a sigh. "Mr. Lyle is one of the higher-ups at the Centre. He performed some particularly cruel experiments. He's also a murderer, and quite possibly a cannibal."

Spike couldn't keep the shock from showing on his face. He had suspected that there was something wrong with Robert Lyle, but he never guessed that it was something this big.

"Bloody hell. What does he want with Willow?" Spike asked.

"From what I can tell the Centre wants to use her. Lyle was sent here to gain her trust. He's supposed to get her to perform a spell for the Centre. I'm not sure what the spell is, or what it's for, but I doubt it's anything good. And after that, who knows what they might want with her. The Centre is big on experimenting. They might want to use Miss Rosenberg as a test subject."

Spike nodded, anger welling up in him. He'd tear Mr. Lyle to bits. But Spike knew that Willow really trusted the bastard, as did the rest of the Scooby gang.

"Do you have any proof of all of this?" He really hoped that Jarod did.

"I have surveillance footage. They taped me for years. I have almost everything they did to me, including Mr. Lyle's nastier experiments." Jarod motioned to a silver briefcase that sat on the motel room desk. "Do you think that we'll be able to get your friend to watch them?"

Spike shrugged, "I think I can. The chit's going to be destroyed though. She really likes this guy. I think she loves him in fact."

"Well, she might be hurt, but better she find out the truth now. If the Centre got a hold of her, you all would probably never see her again. We can't let that happen, Spike." Jarod simply couldn't bare the thought of the Centre destroying another innocent life. He wanted, not of the first time, to wring Lyle's neck. Jarod had met a lot terrible people, both at the Centre, and since his escape, but Mr. Lyle was one of the few people who actually frightened him. 

"I'll get her to come here,Ó Spike decided. "You can tell her the story and show here the videos. I don't know what will happen after that, but I'll get her here."

"Thank you."

Spike stood. "I'll be back later tonight. I'm not exactly sure how I'll get Willow to come with me, but I'll get her here some how." Spike went to leave, then turned back, "Oh, and Jarod?"

"Yes?"

"If I found out you're lying, that you're trying to hurt Willow; chip or no chip, I'll tear out your heart with my bare hands."

"Of course," Jarod said.

Nodding in acknowledgment, Spike turned once more, and without another word he was gone.


	11. Chapter 11

Willow was in the kitchen making tea when the doorbell rang. Dawn was at a sleep over, and 

Buffy was patrolling, so Willow went to answer the door. She was surprised when she saw Spike 

standing on the porch.

"Spike! What are you doing here?"

"You trust me, Red?" Spike asked.

Willow gave him a look, her eyebrows raised. "Sure I trust you, Spike. Why do you ask?"

"I want you to come with me," he said simply.

"Go with you where?"

"Just come on." Spike held out his hand and after a moments hesitation, Willow took it, and 

allowed herself to be lead out of the house and on to the street.

"Where I we going, Spike?" Willow asked again.

"You'll see when we get there."

"Is this some sort of game?" Willow was starting to get a little worried. What in the hell was going on.

"Not a game, Pet."

"Then what is going on?"

Willow's question was greeted by silence. She thought about pushing the issue, but realized it 

probably wouldn't do any good. Spike could be very stubborn when he wanted to be.

The pair walked in silence for a while. After several minutes the arrived in front of a motel. Willow 

was extremely confused, but let Spike lead her to one of the rooms.

"Okay, now tell me what's going on," Willow demanded as Spike knocked on the door. Spike said 

nothing and Willow was about to say something more when the door opened.

"Willow, this is Jarod." Spike gestured to the man who had opened the door.

"Jarod!" She whirled on Spike, anger flashing in her eyes. "What in the hell is going on Spike?"

Spike put up his hands defensively. "Hey now, luv. Calm down. I'll explain. But please just go 

on inside."

"Are you insane. I'm not going into this guys room. He's trying to kill Robert!"

Jarod spoke up. "Ms. Rosenberg, I assure you, I am not trying to kill Mr. Lyle. I'm trying to save you from him."

Willow turned to go, but Spike stepped in her way. "Willow, listen to me. I know you like Robert, but I don't trust him. I think you should listen to Jarod. He was proof of what he's claiming. Please, trust me."

Willow stared into Spike's eyes for a moment, trying to see if he was telling the truth. After a long moment she nodded. "Fine," she said softly. 

Jarod stepped aside and Willow entered the room, followed closely by Spike.

"Please, have a seat," Jarod said as he entered and shut the door behind him.

"I'd rather stand," Willow replied angrily.

"All right. But what I have to tell you is a rather long story."

"Fine." Willow threw up he hands in resignation, and sat on the bed. Spike sat close beside her. 

Jarod took a seat and began his story. "Ms. Rosenberg, Mr. Lyle told you that he works for an organization called the Centre." When Willow nodded her head slightly, he continued. "Spike informed me of what Mr. Lyle told you about it. I'm here to inform you that you have been told nothing but lies."

"I'm not listening to this," Willow made a move to stand up, but Spike restrained her with a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Just listen Willow, please."

Once Willow sat back down, Jarod began speaking again. "The Centre took me from my parents when I as very young. I'm what they call a Pretender. I can become anyone I want to be. They used me to work out scenarios. They used the information I came up with. They sold it to all sorts of unscrupulous people, often resulting in the deaths of innocent people. Some members of the Centre also performed many types of psychological, and physical experiments on me, many of which were very painful. One of those people was Mr. Lyle."

Willow looked at him with cold eyes, disbelieving his every word. "Show me your proof," she said harshly.

-TBC


	12. Chapter 12

Willow watched the scenes from Jarod's past with growing horror. Each bit of footage she was shown was worse then the last. But even after seeing some of the things the Centre had done to Jarod, she held on to some hope.

"I realize now that the Centre really is a terrible place. And I can't even express how sorry I am about what happened to you. But I haven't seen any proof that Robert is involved in this."

Spike couldn't help but roll his eyes at Willow's statement. The little chit was trying so hard to hang on to the idea of the man she had fallen in love with. It was rather sweet really, if not a little pathetic.

Jarod looked at Willow sadly. She seemed to be a really nice young woman; he hated to have to break her heart like this. He wanted so badly to wring Mr. Lyle's neck. It was bad enough that the 

Centre was trying to get their hands on the girl, but to go about it in such a horrible way; it really pissed Jarod off. Something would have to be done.

"I'm sorry, Ms. Rosenberg. I really am. I hate to have to do this to you. But you have to realize that Lyle is very much involved in the Centre." He pulled out another disk and placed it into the player.

The footage started and Willow's eyes widened when she recognized one of the men on the screen.

"That's Robert," she said softly. "What is he doing?"

"He's doing an experiment. He's stopping my heart." Jarod's voice was flat, it was hard for him to watch this particular incident.

"Why?" Spike asked, incredulous. These people did things that would have made Angelus proud.

"To see if he could." Jarod explained simply.

Willow watched in silence. When the tape was finally over, Willow still didn't say a word. She drew her legs up close to her chest, wrapping her arms around herself. She was shaking slightly. She couldn't believe that it was true. How could the man she was in love with be a monster? How could she have fallen for someone like this?

"Willow...." Spike began, his voice filled with concern.

"No." Willow shook her head. "No. Don't. Don't say anything."

Spike stood up and took a step toward Willow. She quickly scrambled to her feet. "Don't touch me." Tears were streaming down her face. She looked from Spike to Jarod and back again. She could read the concern on both their faces, but she didn't want to deal with that right now.

"I....I can't...." Willow's voice trailed off. She turned and rushed out of the hotel room, and into the night. She ran as fast and as hard as she could. Finally she collapsed on a park bench. She found herself unable to breathe. She choked, sobbing, as she tried to draw air into her lungs.

"I'm so sorry, Ms. Rosenberg."

Willow looked up to see Jarod sitting beside her. She hadn't even noticed him arrive. He rubbed her back gently.

"It's all right. You don't have to say anything. Just try to calm down. You don't want to hyperventilate. Breathe, just breathe. In and out. That's it."

For some reason Willow found Jarod's presence calming. She focused on the sound of his voice, listening to his instructions. In and out. In and out. Finally she was able to breathe normally again. 

She looked up at Jarod with eyes filed with tears. 

"Why? Why would he do this? Why would anyone do this?"

Willow's voice was so quite that Jarod had to strain to hear her. He sighed. "The Centre wants you to do some sort of spell for them. I'm not sure what. I actually believe that their intentions might go beyond that. From what I've heard you're a fairly powerful witch, from what I know of the Centre, they'll want to observe you, to experiment on you."

"How could I have fallen for it. He seems....he seemed so perfect."

"Lyle is a psychopath. But he's brilliant. He is very good at his job. Anyone would have been taken in by his act. It's not any fault of yours." The look in Willow's eyes nearly broke Jarod's heart. He would do anything to fix it. She just looked broken. "I want to help you Willow. I'll do anything I can do help you through this."

Willow was silent for a moment. When she spoke again her voice had changed. She still sounded devastated, but there was an edge of anger in her tone now. "I want to get back at him Jarod. I want to get back at him, and the Centre. Can you help me?"

Jarod couldn't help but smile. If there was one thing he had perfected during his years away from the Centre, it was getting revenge. 

"Yes, Willow. I think I can help you."

TBC


	13. Chapter 13

Miss Parker stepped out of the door of the private jet, and stood at the top of the set of stairs that led to the ground. She looked over the top of her sunglasses, surveying the area around her. Sunnydale, California. The Hellmouth. She sighed. The place sure looked like Hell to her. She'd much rather be back in Delaware. But she had a job to do.

That morning Broots had come bursting into her office, looking both excited and nervous. He had located Jarod. Apparently the Centre's wayward Pretender had found out about Mr. Lyle's recent activities there. Within an hour of Broots' announcement he, Miss Parker, and Sydney were on a flight to the other side of the country.

Miss Parker wondered if her brother was aware that Jarod was in town. If he was, there would be some pissed of people at the Centre. He should have reported it as soon as he found out. She wasn't sure if Lyle was interested in making the capture himself, or if he didn't know yet. Either way, it didn't speak to highly of his intelligence. He wasn't normally this stupid, things with this Rosenberg girl must have been keeping him busy.

For all of their research, they still hadn't been able to find out the exact reason the Centre wanted the witch. Despite all of the the pressure Miss Parker was putting on Broots, he hadn't been able to find anything. All they knew was that it was something about a spell, and that it probably wouldn't stop there. The Centre would love to get there hands on a Witch, to be able to experiment on one.

Miss Parker had no illusions about her work. In the years since Jarod had escaped she had learned more about the Centre than she ever wanted to know. There were some things she just wasn't just going to sit back and let happen. The exploitation, and possible kidnapping of an innocent young woman was one of those things. AFter all, it was the type of thing her mother would have tried to stop.

Besides, not only did this Sunnydale trip mean a chance to do her mother's memory proud, but it offered a chance to capture Jarod. If she could bring Jarod back to the Centre, she could get out. She could finally leave the Centre peacefully. And if anytime during this trip she got the opportunity to screw over her brother, well, that would just be an added bonus.

Parker walked down the stairs to join Broots and Sydney on the ground.

"I suppose we should start by checking out the area hotels, see if we can locate Jarod," Sydney suggested as they headed for their rental car.

"Then I want to track down my bastard of a brother." Miss Parker ran a hand through her hair. "I think it's time we had a family chat."

*Meanwhile*

Lyle sat in the coffee shop, tapping his fingers impatiently on the table. He watched the door, a frown on his face. Finally the door opened, and Willow stepped inside. He smiled and stood up.

"Willow!"

"Robert!" Willow forced a smile on her face as she walked over to greet her 'boyfriend." She couldn't believe she was about to do this. She hoped she could be convincing. She wasnÕt the greatest liar under the best on circumstances. She didn't know if she could really hide the utter hatred she felt for the man standing before her. Steeling herself, she reached out and pulled Lyle toward her. Wrapping her arms around his neck she planted a kiss on his lips.

"I'm so glad to see you," Willow began as they sat down at the table. "I was so worried."

Lyle feigned concern. "What's wrong, sweetheart."

Willow shook her head. "It was terrible. Jarod. Jarod came to talk to me."

TBC


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: I, of course, own nothing. BtVS belongs to Joss, ME, ect. I'm not sure who owns The Pretender, but it sure isn't me. *sigh*

Distribution: Just tell me if you want to take it.

Feedback: Feedback is always appreciated.

Spoilers: None really. Now and forever: No Spuffy!

Summary: The Centre wants Willow. Will Jarod be able to save her?

Rating: PG-13

A/N: It's been a while since I've written anything for this, but now I'm trying to finish it. Previous parts can be found at: ate to use it on someone who hurts the people I love."

Robert was taken aback by the force of her words. He had never heard that kind of venom in her voice before. It was great. The Centre could definitely use her. They had to harness this power. He smiled. It wouldn't be too long before he was bringing Willow to Delaware, hopefully with Jarod in tow.

-----------------

"Stop the car," Miss Parker ordered. "There it is. 'The Magic Box.' This could be a good lead for finding my brother."

Broots pulled the car to a stop in front of the store.

"What exactly are you planning on doing when you do find Mr. Lyle?" Sydney asked.

"I'm going to find out if he knows Jarod is here," Miss Parker said as they got out of the car. "If he doesn't he's incompetent, if he does he should have contacted The Centre. Either way I want to wring his neck."

"And what about Miss Rosenberg?" Sydney asked.

Broots cleared his throat nervously. "I know you don't want The Centre kidnapping another young woman. I sure don't want it either, but how can we stop it? The Triumvirate doesn't respond well to betrayal."

"Maybe I can't do anything openly, but I can certainly engineer my brother's demise."

Sydney frowned, "You don't mean that literally do you?"

Miss Parker smiled coldly, "Of course not. Why would I want to see my beloved brother dead? Come on, let's see if we can find him." She entered The Magic Box, Broots and Sydney close behind her.

She walked up to the counter and smiled at the blond who stood behind it. "Hello, we're from out of town, and were hoping that you might be able to help us."

"Of course." The blond smiled, "I'm Anya, I'm sure I'll be able to help you spend your money in any way you wish, whether on spells or magically enhanced weapons."

"Actually I'm not interested in purchasing anything."

Anya frowned. "Oh." Why did people come into a store if they weren't going to buy something?

"We're looking for my brother. He's been in town for several months now. He says he's found the love of his life here. We had business in L.A. and thought we'd stop and see how he was doing. Unfortunately I seemed to have lost his phone number, and I don't know where exactly he's staying. He's been interested in magic for sometime now, so I thought he probably has spent sometime here." Miss Parker reached into her pocket and pulled out a picture.

Anya glanced at the picture and smiled. "Oh, that's Robert! He has been with my friend Willow for a while now."

"So you know where we can find him?" Sydney asked.

"Yes." Anya scribbled down some information on a scrap of paper. "Here's where he's staying. But he isn't there very often. He spends a lot of time with Willow. I can call her if you like, and have her tell Robert you're looking for him."

"No." Miss Parker said quickly. "We'll just wait at the hotel. I'd really like to surprise him."

"Ok. Are you sure you don't want to purchase anything? We're having a sale on Verakan crystals." 

"I'm sorry, I don't' really have time now. But maybe we'll stop back before we leave. Thank you for all of your help. I can't wait to see my brother again." Miss Parker gave Anya a grateful smile and left, the others trailing after her.

"Allright. Now for the fun part. Let's go find my brother."


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: I, of course, own nothing. BtVS belongs to Joss, ME, ect. I'm not sure who owns The Pretender, but it sure isn't me. *sigh*

Distribution: Just tell me if you want to take it.

Feedback: Feedback is always appreciated.

Spoilers: None really. Now and forever: No Spuffy!

Summary: The Centre wants Willow. Will Jarod be able to save her?

Rating: PG-13

Buffy stared at Willow in disbelief. "You have got to be kidding me!"

Willow shook her head. "I'm not. Jarod really was telling the truth. Spike and I saw the proof."

"Let me get this straight," Xander cut in, a confused look on his face. "Robert told us that Jarod was some evil dangerous guy. Then Jarod comes and tells us that Robert is a liar. At first you believe Robert. Then Jarod shows you video of all these horrible things that Robert and The Centre did. You tell Jarod that you believe him. Then you see Robert and tell him that you lied to Jarod because you were afraid he would hurt you. But really THAT was a lie. You do believe Jarod, but you're afraid of Robert, and also you want to get revenge on him, which Jarod is going to help you do."

Willow was silent for a moment, playing back Xander's ramblings in her head. "Yeah, that's right."

"This is insane."

Giles looked up from the counter of the Magic Box. "I'm afraid I'll have to agree with Xander on this. This entire situation is much to complicated. I can't image all of this turning out well. I just pray the whole thing doesn't get worse."

"I hope his sister doesn't complicate things," Anya said.

Silence fell over the store, as everyone looked at Anya.

"Whose sister?" Willow finally asked.

"Robert's," Anya explained. "She and two men came in looking for Robert earlier. I directed them to his hotel. They didn't purchase anything."

Giles removed his glasses and began cleaning them, "Anya, is there a particular reason you didn't mention this before?"

Anya shrugged, "Well, the woman said she wanted to surprise Robert. And what with the whole 'it turns out Robert is evil' thing, it kind of slipped my mind."

Buffy impatiently paced the room. "Do you really have to do this complicated revenge thing? Couldn't I jut go beat the living crap out of him?"

Dawn raised her hand. "I second the the beat the crap out of him plan."

"I've gotta back that plan as well," Xander said.

"No," Willow said firmly, resolve face in place. "I'm going with the plan Jarod and I came up with. Robert needs to pay for what he did. Both to me, and to Jarod."

Buffy sighed. She'd rather just hit the guy with a big stick, but there was no fighting Willow's resolve face. "Okay, so what do we do next?"

Willow stood up from the table, grabbing her coat off the back of her chair. "I'm going to go see Jarod and ask him about Robert's sister. I want to know exactly what we're dealing with.

---------------

Mr. Lyle smiled as he unlocked his hotel room door. Everything was going perfectly. When this was all over, he would be handsomely rewarded by the Triumvirate. He couldn't believe how smoothly things were going. He opened the door, and stopped dead in his tracks.

"Parker."

The leggy brunette smiled from her seat on the bed. "Hello, Lyle. What, no hug for your sister?"

Lyle glared at the woman who sat on his bed, then glanced around the room to see both Sydney and Broots. He sighed, and looked back to his sister. "What are you doing here?"

Miss Parker smirked. "Oh, I'm just doing my job. You know, capturing Jarod? He's here in town."

"I know," Mr. Lyle spoke through gritted teeth.

Parker raised an eyebrow, "Really? Well, that's interesting." Her voice dripped with sarcasm. "I just assumed you didn't know. After all, you didn't contact anyone at The Centre to let them know what was going on."

"I have it under control."

Sydney spoke up, "It seems that if you really had it under control Jarod would be in custody all ready. Surely you don't think you can capturing him by yourself?"

Miss Parker stood up, "But you don't just want to have Jarod captured, do you? You want to make sure you get all the credit for it. I'm not going to let you screw this up, Lyle. There's no way in hell you're going to get Jarod by yourself. You should have had a sweeper team here weeks ago. If he gets away this time, I'm going to make sure that you take all the blame for it."

A cocky grin spread across Lyle's face. "Come off it, Sis. You've lost Jarod more times than I can count. You and your gang should have caught him several times over by now. I have another important project going on here and you better stay out of the way. We wouldn't want you getting hurt."

Miss Parker moved towards Mr. Lyle until they were standing toe to toe. She looked directly into his eyes, wearing a grin that matched his. "Well, I guess we're just going to have to work together than aren't we?"

Behind the pair, Sydney and Broots exchanged a glance. Parker saying she would strike a deal with her brother couldn't be a good sign. They both knew there was no way she'd actually do anything to help Lyle, and wondered what exactly she had up her sleeve. Whatever it was it was bound to be dangerous, Lyle wasn't the type of guy you wanted to mess with. 

Mr. Lyle looked into his sister's face, trying to get a read on her thoughts. "Well, I guess we're going to be partners"


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: I, of course, own nothing. BtVS belongs to Joss, ME, ect. I'm not sure who owns The Pretender, but it sure isn't me. *sigh*

Distribution: Just tell me if you want to take it.

Feedback: Feedback is always appreciated.

Spoilers: None really. Now and forever: No Spuffy!

Summary: The Centre wants Willow. Will Jarod be able to save her?

Rating: PG-13

Author's note. I know I've said it before, but this story will be done soon. There are just a few more parts. Right now writing this story is like pulling teeth. But I'm determined to see it finished.

Jarod looked up from his computer when he heard a knock on his door. He stood and opened it, not surprised to see Willow standing outside.

"Willow. Come on in." Jarod motioned the red-haired witch into the hotel room.

Willow entered and sat down on the edge of the bed.

"Nothing's gone wrong, has it?" Jarod asked, concerned.

Willow shook her head. "I'm actually not sure. Apparently Robert's sister is in town. She and a couple of guys stopped by the Magic Box looking for him. Do you know anything about her?"

Jarod sighed. He knew that'd they'd be showing up eventually, he just wished it could have happened later. "That'd be Miss Parker. The two men with her were most likely Sydney and Broots."

Willow looked up at him. Jarod had told her about the people chasing after him. "You have to go. If there here to take you back to the Centre, you have to go."

"No. I'm not going anywhere. As long as they don't catch me before our plans go into effect, it won't matter."

"Jarod, I don't want you to take that risk."

"The risk is worth it. You're revenge on Lyle is going to end up helping us both." Jarod sat down next to Willow. "I can handle this. I'm not going to leave you to deal with that monster by yourself." Jarod reached out and brushed some hair off of Willow's face.

They were both silent as Jarod's hand touched Willow's skin. There was a stillness as they sat, just looking at each other. Suddenly Jarod realized what he was doing, and pulled his hand away. Willow looked at the floor, her face turning red.

"I'm sorry," Jarod began.

"No, don't be." Willow interrupted.

There was an awkward pause and Jarod cleared his throat. "So, you've been looking through your spell books, right?"

Willow nodded. "Yeah. I actually brought them with me. I thought you could help with the research. I know you don't know much about magic. But, hey, your a genius."

Jarod smiled. "I'll do what I can." He took the book Willow was holding out and moved to a chair by the room's table.

"Just mark anything that looks relevant," Willow instructed. "I can go through later and figure out if it's actually something we can do or not."

With that, the two began to study. For a long while there was silence. They only sound that could be heard was the turning of pages. Jarod broke the silence.

"Willow, I can't tell you how sorry I am that you got dragged into all of this."

Willow looked at him, surprised, "Jarod, it's not your fault."

"I know that. But still..." Jarod trailed off.

Willow stood and walked over to where Jarod was seated. She put a hand on his shoulder. "Jarod, these people have ruined a lot of lives, including your own. You help everyone, not matter how hard you try. You've done so much good Jarod. You should be proud of that.""

Jarod looked at her, reading the concern that was so evident on her face. From what he could tell, she was a lot like him. It didn't matter how many lives were saved; it would never be enough. He was no more willing to stop his fight then she was to stop defending Sunnydale. He wondered briefly if she knew how brave she was. He doubted it. She and all of her friends, they fought because it was right. A lot of people would have just walked away.

"I can't stop fighting, Willow. It doesn't matter if it's the wrong doing of the Centre, or of someone else. This is my mission. The plans I came up with when the Centre had me....I didn't know that they'd be used in the way they were. But that doesn't matter. The fact is that people are died because of things that I thought up. Nothing I can do can ever make up for that."

Jarod noticed that tears were forming in Willow's eyes. He stood, and reached out, brushing the tears from her face. Willow stepped closer to him, pressing her body against his. She tilted her head up, and Jarod leaned down. Their lips brushed against each other, gently. Then Willow wrapped her arms around Jarod's neck, pulling him further towards her, deepening the kiss. Jarod responded in kind.

Willow began to walk backward toward the bed, pulling Jarod with her.

As they broke the kiss for breath, Jarod studied her. "Are you sure about this?"

Willow ran her hands though Jarod's hair. "I'm sure," she breathed, before pulling him into another kiss. Wrapped in each other's arms, the pair collapsed onto the bed.


	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: I, of course, own nothing. BtVS belongs to Joss, ME, ect. I'm not sure who owns The Pretender, but it sure isn't me.

*sigh*

Distribution: Just tell me if you want to take it.

Feedback: Feedback is always appreciated.

Spoilers: None really. Now and forever: No Spuffy!

Summary: The Centre wants Willow. Will Jarod be able to save her?

Rating: PG-13

Author's note. My goal is to get this done before spring break. That gives me two weeks.

The Next Morning

Broots looked at Miss Parker, nervously. "Are you sure about this? Purposefully setting up Mr. Lyle could get you in a lot of trouble if you're caught." Sydney, Miss Parker and Broots were all gathered in Miss Parker's hotel room.

Miss Parker raised a perfectly manicured eyebrow, "I'm perfectly sure, Broots. I'm going to make sure that Miss Rosenberg knows exactly who and what my brother really is. And it'd be us getting caught, not just me. But I don't plan on letting that happen."

Sydney crossed his arms over his chest, and sat in a nearby chair. "How exactly do you plan on doing this?"

"I'm not sure yet. An overheard conversation, a Centre surveillance tape slipped under her door....There are a couple different ways it could work. We screw over my brother, save a kid from the Centre, and maybe while we're at it we get Jarod back."

Sydney shook his head. "This is all very risky. But I agree that we can't let The Centre take another innocent victim."

Broots agreed. "I guess we might as well try."

Miss Parker smiled, "Good, let's get to work.

---------------------

Willow silently opened the door to the Summers' house and crept inside. She hoped that everyone would still be asleep. Maybe no one had noticed that she hadn't come back last night. She closed the door quietly behind her, and tiptoed into the kitchen. The entire house was quite. It looked like she might have gotten away with it. She went to the coffee machine and poured herself a cup.

"Just getting back, huh?

Willow startled, spilling coffee on her hands. She swore under her breathe and turned around to see Dawn standing in the doorway.

"Morning, Dawnie."

"Where were you all night?" The young brunette asked.

"I...I was at Jarod's hotel room. We....we were looking over some spells." Try as she might, Willow couldn't' stop a blush from coming over her face.

Dawn's eyes widened. "Just doing research?" Dawn asked.

"Th-that's right."

Dawn crossed her arms over her chest and moved further into the kitchen. "Yeah, right." She smiled, "I don't know why you're being so shy about it. Jarod's a total hottie."

"What's this about Jarod being a hottie?" Buffy asked as she entered the room.

Willow groaned. "Nothing."

Dawn grinned at her older sister. "Willow was with Jarod all night."

"Oh, did Willow get smoochies?" Buffy asked with a smile. She went over to the cupboard, pulling out a bowl and a box of cereal.

"We were researching for the plan!" Willow insisted.

"The whole time?" Buffy asked.

"N-n-not the whole time, no." Willow felt her blush growing more intense.

"I knew it!" Dawn said triumphantly.

"What did you know?"

Willow looked up to see Xander was standing in the doorway, a box of donuts in his hands.

"Willow and Jarod." Dawn explained. "They spent the night together."

Willow sighed and covered her face with her hands. What could happen to make this any more embarrassing?

"Did he give you many orgasms?" Anya had appeared behind her boyfriend.

Willow glanced around at her friends. "We're not talking about this."

"Jarod's very attractive." Anya continued, "There's nothing to be ashamed of."

"I said we're not talking about this!" Willow's voice was firm, and her resolve face was set in place.

"Okay, Wills. That's fine." Xander set the box of donuts on the table and pulled out a jelly-filled, handing it to his friend. "Did you find the spells you needed?"

Willow nodded. She felt her blush starting to fade. Moving to the table, she pulled out a donut, and sat down. "Yeah, we found the spell. It actually looks like it's going to be easier than we originally thought. I have some supplies to gather, but there's all pretty basic. I should be able to get everything at the Magic Box. I'll be ready to go in a day or two."

Buffy sat down next to the red-head. "You're really going to go through with this, Will? I know that you want too. Not just for revenge, but to help Jarod too. But, I'm still worried. This is really dangerous. I don't want you to get hurt. Jarod's told

you what Robert is capable of."

"I'm sure, Buffy. I know it's risky. But I think it can work. I know I can do this."

Xander placed a hand on Willow's shoulder. "Alright, Will. If you're really sure, we're all behind you. So let's get to work."


	18. Chapter 18

Disclaimer: I, of course, own nothing. BtVS belongs to Joss, ME, ect. I'm not sure who owns The Pretender, but it sure isn't me. *sigh*

Distribution: Just tell me if you want to take it.

Feedback: Feedback is always appreciated.

Spoilers: None really. Now and forever: No Spuffy!

Summary: The Centre wants Willow. Will Jarod be able to save her?

Rating: PG-13

Note: Two more parts to write, and then I am free! Will try very to get it up sometime this week. But no promises. I have two tests in the next 3 days.

"You're ready for this?" Jarod asked. Willow leaned against the side of a building, a few blocks away from the Magic Box.

Willow nodded. "I'm ready as I'll ever be. You?"

"I'm ready." He sighed, and ran a hand through his hair. From this point, everything depended of Lyle being predictable. He knew that things could turn badly very quickly. If things went wrong, the plan would be shot. If they went really wrongly, he might die. But he was pretty sure that wouldn't happen.

"Okay, I'll see you soon." Jarod bent down and placed a kiss on Willow's lips. With that, he walked around the corner and down the street.

A call had been placed to Lyle earlier that evening. He had agreed to meet Jarod outside of the shop at 9:00. It was almost that time now. Jarod could see a figure down the road. He assumed that it was Lyle. The streets were otherwise empty.

"Hello, Jarod." Lyle grinned confidently at the approaching Pretender. "Nice to see you again."

"Lyle," Jarod gave a quick nod of his head.

"So. What did I do to deserve the honor of this meeting?"

"I want to make a deal," Jarod explained.

Lyle raised an eyebrow. "A deal, huh? What exactly did you have in mind?"

"You leave Willow Rosenberg alone, and I come with you willingly."

Lyle smiled. "You're not serious."

Jarod crossed her arms over his chest. "I'm perfectly serious. Leave her alone. Leave Sunnydale now. And I'll come with you. No strings attached. I'm yours. I'll go peacefully back to the Centre, and you get all the credit."

"Oh, I think I'm going to get part of the credit."

Jarod and Lyle both turned to see Miss Parker stepping out of the shadows.

"Do you really think I wasn't keeping tabs on you, Lyle? After all, your family; I like to keep you close."

Jarod cursed softly under his breath. He didn't like surprises. They might still be able to pull off their plan, but it just got a little bit more difficult. Jarod hoped that Willow was the type to be able to handle surprises. 

Lyle plastered on a fake smile. "Hello, Sis. How nice to see you again. But Jarod's making the deal with me. I don't' care to share credit on this one."

"I don't care how you two deal with it." Jarod interrupted. "I just want assurance that Willow will be safe. Once I have that, I'll go with you willingly."

Lyle reached into his suit jacket. "Oh, I think you'll come with us now," he pulled out a gun, and leveled it at Jarod.

"Robert!" Willow's voice traveled down the street. Lyle and Miss Parker both looked up in surprise, giving Jarod time to make his move. He grabbed Lyle's arm, fighting for the gun. Miss Parker stood back, not sure who she favored in the fight.

"Robert, no!" 

Willow was a few yards in front of them now. She could clearly see what was happening. She watched in horror as Jarod seemed to gain the upper hand. Energy crackled at her fingertips. Her eyes and hair faded from their usual bright color into a dark black. She muttered a few words, and held out her hand. And energy bolt shot from it, connecting with Jarod's chest. The Pretender collapsed to the ground without a word.

Lyle ran to Willow while Miss Parker rushed to Jarod's fallen body. Willow was on her knees. She looked blankly up at Robert, ashen faced. Slowly her hair started to return to it's normal color. Lyle put his hands on her shoulders.

"What did you do? What happened?"

Willow looked at him, not knowing what to say. "I...I was just coming to the Magic Box to pick up some things. I heard you talking, and then I saw the gun get pulled. Oh, god. Robert, I thought he was going to kill you!" Willow threw herself into his arms, sobbing.

Lyle slowly stroked her hair. Apparently his plan to get her to fall in love with him had worked even better than he'd thought. He had driven her to violence, something he knew was not natural for her. 

"Lyle, we have a problem," Miss Parker called out.

He turned and looked behind him. He saw his sister crouched over Jarod's body, an unreadable expression on her face. 

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"He's dead," Miss Parker replied. "Jarod is dead."

TBC


	19. Chapter 19

Title: Pretended Love 

Author: Malana 

Disclaimer: I, of course, own nothing. BtVS belongs to Joss, ME, ect. I'm not sure who owns The Pretender, but it sure

isn't me. *sigh* 

Distribution: Just tell me if you want to take it. 

Feedback: Feedback is always appreciated. 

Spoilers: None really. Now and forever: No Spuffy! 

Summary: The Centre wants Willow. Will Jarod be able to save her? 

Rating: PG-13 

"What do you mean he's dead?" Lyle stared at his sister is shock. 

"I killed him. Oh god, I killed him," Willow muttered, rocking back and forth. 

"Shit." Miss Parker swore and stood up. She looked down at Jarod's body. "We have to do something." 

"Call the Centre." Lyle suggested. 

"No." 

Lyle and Miss Parker looked at Willow, surprised. 

"Call Buffy. Giles, Spike, they'll know what to do." 

Miss Parker exchanged a glance with her brother and nodded. Lyle took out his cell phone and dialed the Summers' residence. 

-1 half-hour later-

Lyle paced paced the living room of the Summers' home. Miss Parker sat in a chair, glaring at him. 

Giles came down the stairs and entered the room.

"I gave her sedative. She'll be out for a few hours."

Lyle nodded distractedly and kept pacing.

"Spike is t-taking care of the b-body," Giles stuttered a little. "It will be hard on her, but at least this way she won't have to deal with the police."

"And you're okay with covering this up?" Miss Parker asked.

"W-well. It was an-an accident. And she was doing it to s-save Robert's life. R-robert told us about Jarod. I know he was a murder. To get the police involved, especially since it was a-a magical d-death...I just don't think it's a good idea." Giles removed his glasses and wiped them on his shirt. "If you'll excuse me, I'm going to go get a cup of tea. It looks to be a long night."

Miss Parker watched as Giles left. As soon as he was out of earshot, she turned to his brother.

"What the hell are we going to do?" she hissed.

Mr. Lyle stopped pacing and ran a hand through his hair. "Well, we have to contact the Centre. The Triumvirate will want to know."

"You mean you have to contact the Centre. It was your girlfriend who killed him. I'm sure was hell not taking the fall on this one."

"I can deal with this," Lyle said confidently. "As soon as I can reasonably get out of here, I'll call Father."

"Congratulations, Brother. You succeeded in making an innocent girl into a murderer."

"Oh, don't go for the moral high ground with me, Parker. I'm just doing my job. This has made things more difficult, but things are still doable."

Miss Parker rolled her eyes. "You've got to learn when to call it quits. Willow just killed someone. I doubt she'll be ready to go do some spells for the Centre anytime soon."

Lyle waved a hand dismissively. "I'm going to handle it. I'm not out of the game yet."

-2 hour later-

"So, what are we going to do now?" Broots asked.

Miss Parker had finally managed to get out of the Summers' house, and back to her hotel. She had given the news of Jarod's death to Sydney and Broots. Sydney hadn't taken it too well. Miss Parker hadn't expected him to. He had listened to her story with a blank face, than excused himself, saying he needed some air. Miss Parker didn't really know how she felt about Jarod's death. She felt...something...but she wasn't sure what it was. 

"I'm not sure," Miss Parker admitted. "It changes my plans. I still want her to know the truth about what's going on. But at the same time, she just killed someone. And if she finds out that Jarod wasn't a bad guy after all..." she trailed off. Sitting down, she rubbed her temples. It was going to be a long couple of days.

-The same time: The Summers' Residence-

Giles entered Willow's room, closing the door behind him. He looked down at the bed, where the young witch lay still. She looked so peaceful that he almost hated to disturb her.

"Willow," he said softly. "Robert just left, he said he had to go see his sister."

Willow's eyes opened, and she sat up. "Oh, thank god. I was getting really sick of just lying there."

Giles smiled softly, "Well, it looks as if the first few steps of the plan have actually worked. Let's hope the rest of it is as successful."

Willow got out of the bed and stretched. "It's going to be fine, Giles. Jarod and I worked everything out. Don't worry."

"I do worry," Giles put a hand on Willow's shoulder. "From what Jarod's told us, these are dangerous people we're messing with. Things could go badly."

"Have you heard from Jarod yet?"

"Spike called. Jarod's in his crypt. The spell wore off, so he's up and about now. Spike's headed over to the hotel room. So, it looks as if everything shall be in place for tomorrow. I just hope that we all get through this mess."

-The next day-

Willow stood outside of Robert's hotel room door. She drew a deep breath to steady her nerves. Just a little more time and all of this would be over. She prayed that it would work. 

She muttered a few words and her eyes turned black. 

Lyle was sitting on his bed when the door to his room burst open. He turned in surprise.

"Willow?" Lyle shot to his feet. "What are you doing here? Are you okay?" He walked over to her and reached out a hand.

"Don't touch me!" Willow jerked back. 

Her voice sounded strange and Lyle noticed that her eyes was black.

"What's going on?" Lyle was concerned. Something could be seriously wrong. He didn't want his plans to be further jeopardized.

"He was telling the truth." Willow said flatly, "I killed an innocent man. Jarod was telling the truth. You son-of-a-bitch."

Lyle's eyes widened. "W-what are you talking about?"

Willow reached into her pocket and held up a small disc. "Spike found this in Jarod's motel room. It's surveillance footage from the Centre. Everything Jarod said was true, you bastard." Willow spit out the last part.

Lyle backed away, "All right. We can settle this peacefully." He fumbled in his jacket for his gun.

Willow waved her hand and the gun flew across the room. "You came here. You made me fall in love with you. I trusted you. We all did. Everything you told me was a lie. An innocent man's blood is on my hands, and your to blame. I should kill you right now."

"You don't want to do that, Willow. You're not a murderer."

Willow let out a harsh laugh. "I am, actually. And all because of you." A frightening smile crossed her face. "But I'm not going to stoop to killing you. I refuse to be like you. You have until tonight to get out of town. You or anyone in the Centre comes after me again and I *will* get angry." Energy crackled at Willow's fingertips. 

"Come on, Willow. I can explain everything. It's not what you think." Lyle tried desperately for one last lie. "I love you, don't do this."

Willow just stared at him. "Bored now."

With that she lifted up her hand and hit Mr. Lyle with a bolt of energy that threw him across the room.

"Remember, be out of town before nightfall." With that, she turned and stalked out of the room.

Lyle groaned and pulled himself up. He grabbed his phone and punched in a number.

"Parker," he said when his sister answered the phone. "It's time we got the hell out of Dodge."

TBC


	20. Chapter 20

Title: Pretended Love

Author: Malana 

Disclaimer: I, of course, own nothing. BtVS belongs to Joss, ME, ect. I'm

not sure who owns The Pretender, but it sure isn't me. *sigh* 

Distribution: Just tell me if you want to take it.

Feedback: Feedback is always appreciated.

Spoilers: None really. Now and forever: No Spuffy!

Summary: The Centre wants Willow. Will Jarod be able to save her?

Rating: PG-13 

Author's Note: It's finally done. This story took a lot out of me. I can't count the number of times that writer's block struck. I'm just glad to be done with it. I'd like to thank all of the wonderful people who sent me feedback. It's the reason I was finally able to finish this. You stuck with this story even when it was ages between updates. Thanks you all for the support.

-2 days later-

"So, everyone's gone?" 

Jarod and Willow walked through the park together, enjoying a beautiful day.

"It looks like the Centre won't be bothering me again," Willow responded. "I can't thank you enough for your help."

Jarod smiled. "You helped me too. The Centre thinks I'm dead. That gives me a lot of freedom."

"Well, as long as you keep a low profile, you should be fine."

Jarod was silent.

"You're not planning on really keeping a low profile are you?" she asked.

Jarod shook his head. "I'm going to be careful. But I don't think I can give up on what I've been doing. I can't stop helping people. And I can't stop looking for my family."

Willow frowned. "You put yourself at a lot of risk, Jarod."

"So do you. So do all of your friends. You could walk away from that anytime, but you don't."

"I guess your right." It wasn't like Willow could really disagree with him. She had opportunities to leave Sunnydale before, and she hadn't. She couldn't even imagine walking away from her life, no matter how dangerous it was. How could she fault Jarod for doing the same thing.

"I just wish you could stay here in Sunnydale for awhile." Willow looked down at the ground, blushing.

Jarod stopped walking and took Willow's hand. He leaned down and kissed her gently on the lips.

They looked at each other for a long moment, than began walking again. 

After a long silence Jarod spoke again. "I've been thinking of contacting Sydney."

Willow was surprised. "Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"It's probably not," Jarod said, shaking his head. "I'll have to find a way to do it so no one else in the Centre has a chance of finding out. But I feel like I should. Despite everything that's happened, Sydney is a good man. And he was like a father to me for years. I know I can trust him."

"Just be careful."

"I will. I promise."

"Jarod..." Willow began to speak, then stopped.

"What is it?" Jarod asked.

"I...I...I really want you to stay." Willow bit her lip. "I mean, not forever, cause I know you have other stuff you want to do. Stuff you have to do." Willow spoke quickly, her words almost running together. "But there was the night...in your motel room. And I think we really shared something, and I'd like to see what might happen between us."

"Willow..."

"If you're going to say no, please just do it quickly. The sooner my embarrassment starts the sooner it can end."

Jarod smiled. He reached out a hand and gently stroked Willow's cheek. "I'm not planning on saying no."

"Really?"

"Really." He pulled her into another kiss. "I can't promise you anything. I haven't had the best luck with relationships. And I don't know how long I'll be able to stay here. But I really like you, Willow. And I want to give this a try."

A huge grin spread across Willow's face. "That's good enough for me."

They stood together, letting the bright California sun wash over them. Then they started walking again. This time hand-in-hand. Neither of them were sure of what would happen between them. But for now, the future looked bright.

THE END


End file.
